Korean Air is teaming up with Archer Aviation “to turn its air taxi into a military transport platform, targeting troop deployment, medical evacuation and rescue missions, as Seoul seeks a foothold in the emerging defense advanced air mobility market,” according to the Korean Herald.
“Under the cooperation framework, Korean Air will lead the military conversion and systems integration, while Archer supplies technical support and shares its airworthiness-certification experience,” said the report. “Korean Air plans to convert Archer’s Midnight aircraft, already tested by the US Air Force, for military missions in Korea such as troop transport, medical evacuation and search-and-rescue, building on a proven design to shorten the timeline for a next-generation military transport system.”
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration is weighing whether to fold the project into its fast-track pilot program, a designation that would speed testing of the aircraft’s military utility, continues the report. Such a selection would help pull domestic suppliers into the project, according to Korean Air. “The airline and Archer Aviation are also discussing a longer-term model for exporting the technology that could grow into a broader Korea-US defence partnership aimed at an early lead in the global military AAM market.”
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https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10829195
(Image: Archer)